We're Dreamers
by Nebuleste
Summary: When Penny is unable to bear children, she and Sheldon imagine a life that could have been theirs.


**A/N:**

**One shot I made inside the car. It's a little OOC, but I don't care. Just a cute story for my fellow Shenny shippers. My boyfriend gave me this idea after reading a prompt from somewhere. He doesn't remember where exactly but here we go…**

_2 Minutes, 59 Seconds_

The box instructed for the user to wait three minutes, but Penny was too anxious and too eager to learn the results. She could feel her heartbeat increase as she watched the timer resting on the top of the bathroom sink slowly counted down from three minutes to zero. It was agonizing, and she nervously chewed on her fingernails.

Sitting down on the edge of the tub, Penny imagined her life going on two different paths when the three minute countdown has ended. She hoped for the one where she sees herself thinking about clever and adorable ways in telling her husband the good news. Nine months after that, in her arms would be a newborn sleeping soundly as their family and friends surrounded her.

It was what they have been planning for a long time now, and to she knew that the life she imagined could be her reality when the timer goes off.

_1 Minute, 59 Seconds_

People thought she had gone crazy when she accepted Sheldon's proposal three years ago. To Penny, it was the best thing that has ever happened to her, and she would laugh at the thought about how no one would believe her. Sheldon was mostly known as being annoying, narcissistic, and controlling, but Penny was able to see the things underneath him.

To her, Sheldon was kind, caring, and understanding in his own ways. The two were complete opposites of each other, yet it worked for them. They laughed and cried, fought and made up, and finally, lived and loved together. No relationship is perfect, and Sheldon and Penny's were among them. They bickered back and forth, but still found a way to fix their problems.

Leonard had been jealous when Sheldon announced to the group about his relationship with Penny. At first, he thought that Sheldon was just getting back at him for all the crap he has done by being with the one woman he loves. As time passed by, Leonard knew that there was something special between the two polar opposites, and he let them be together.

Penny was able to not sign Sheldon's Relationship Agreement, stating that they didn't need it. Sheldon reluctantly agreed, and during his relationship with Penny, he learned to take risks and to trust her. No longer did he want a scheduled date night as he noticed how much he enjoyed Penny's spontaneous dates.

_0 Minute, 59 Seconds_

What surprised Penny the most was Sheldon's willingness to be physically intimate with her. Six months after dating, Sheldon was able to slide into third base, and later on, home run. Their first time wasn't mind-blowing or anything, but for Penny, it was sweet and sensual. His soft hesitant touches sent shivers down her spine, causing her to moan in pleasure, only encouraging him even more.

During their pillow talk, Sheldon revealed to Penny how much he loves her, words that she has been anticipating to hear from him. When he finally did say it, she knew that the man beside her was the one. He was the one for her, and she wouldn't ask for more.

Fast forward to another six months, Sheldon was down on one knee, presenting Penny a small velvet box containing an elegant piece of jewelry for her to wear on her engagement finger. It was their one year anniversary, and Sheldon decided to go all out with making it special for the two of them. With the help of his mother and sister, he knew that a nice romantic dinner was good for them.

A week before the big question, Missy accompanied Sheldon to the Kay Jewelers in Pasadena. There, he picked out the ring that he believed suited his Penny the most. He purchased a ring that features two 10K rose gold-accented hearts on the profile, clasping a 1/10 carat princess-cut diamond at the center. It was simple, yet beautiful, and he agreed that it was made for her.

Penny had no idea of what was bound to happen that night. What she knew was what Sheldon had told her, which was a rooftop dinner under the moonlight and bright stars. As the slow danced to the quiet jazz music playing in the background, Sheldon kneeled down and wished for Penny to become his wife.

Of course she said yes! She was with man of her dreams, and now she promised to be in his life forever.

_0 Minute, 30 Seconds_

They both agreed on a small civil wedding, choosing a garden with blossoming flowers as the venue for the ceremony. In attendance were Penny's and Sheldon's immediate family, as well as their group of friends which included Leonard, Howard, Raj, Amy, and Bernadette. Sheldon chose Leonard to be his best man, while Amy was Penny's maid of honor.

As Penny walked down the aisle to Lionel Richie's "Hello," she couldn't help but lock eyes with the love of her life standing in the front. She felt a few tears slowly run down her cheeks, urging herself to not cry once she reached the end.

She moved to Pasadena in hopes of becoming a movie star and appearing on the big screen with the other well-known, award winning celebrities in Hollywood. A hemorrhoid commercial and a few local play roles after, she was finally casted for a television series. Penny came in as a minor character, but the viewers responded very well to her performance. Soon after that, her appearance became a recurring thing, and recently, there's talk about promoting her as a main cast member.

Penny would never in a million years thought she would be walking down the aisle, approaching the eccentric theoretical physicist living next door, and exchanging vows with him before saying "I do."

Her life has changed for the better, and she loved and cherished every moment of it.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

Penny scrambled up from her makeshift seat, rushing to the countertop and examining the stick on a paper towel. It was turned over, and she placed her fingertips on the edge of the test. She breathed in once, and exhaled all the anxiety away. Lifting the test up and turning it around, her heart stopped and she froze, reading the answer that came up.

_Not Pregnant._

She sighed and disposed the tenth pregnancy test she took in five months. Penny didn't understand. She read online about tips on how to easily get pregnant, and none of them were useful. She had stopped using birth control a while ago after her discussing with Sheldon about having children.

Penny washed her hands and cleaned the counter top, walking to the living room and sinking down on the couch. She sighed in exasperation. She didn't know why it was complicated for her to get pregnant. Hearing the keys jingling from the other side of the front door, Penny stood up and straightened herself as to not look too distressed.

Sheldon walked inside and placed his messenger bag along with his windbreaker on his desk chair before moving towards Penny. He saw in her face disappointment and so he wrapped his arms around her body, feeling her sobbing through his favorite red Flash tee. Resting his head on top of Penny's, he slowly combed through her hair to ease his upset wife.

"Why is it difficult? Are we doing something wrong?" Penny asked as she held back any more tears in her eyes.

Sheldon shrugged. "I don't know."

He hated giving her that answer. He hated the feeling of not knowing.

"Maybe something's wrong with me." she said, tilting her head up to meet Sheldon's blue eyes.

"Nothing is wrong with you, Penny." Sheldon brushed a tear and a stray hair away from her face, leaning down to press a feather light kiss on her lips. An idea came into the big mind of his. "How do you feel about visiting a fertility doctor this weekend and see what we can do?"

She buried her face in his chest. "I'd like that."

Penny was amazed by Sheldon. He vowed to do anything possible to bring happiness to Penny, and she loved him for that.

xXx

Dr. Grayson reentered the examination room with a clipboard in hand. The look on his face did not bring much hope into Penny, and she had a feeling that what he was about to say wouldn't be something she wanted to hear. Sheldon slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it reassuringly. Penny was nervous, and wondered if what she suspected was true.

The doctor turned to Sheldon first as the couple listened intently to his diagnosis. "Dr. Cooper here is healthy as a man could ever be. No problems with his sperm count and you're clean as a whistle."

"I hardly think I am clean as a whistle. Do you know how many germs are residing in that whistle because of spit and the air one blows out in it?" Sheldon said, causing Penny to stifle a laugh. "Is there anything else concerning me? I would like to know about my wife's condition after moving on."

Penny blushes every time Sheldon would refer her as "his wife."

"I see, Dr. Cooper," Dr. Grayson flipped through the papers and shook his head. He let out a sigh, and Penny began to tense up, sensing it wasn't good. She started to grip on Sheldon's hand harder, and her body was trembling. She looked to Sheldon who was patting her knee gently. The doctor cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Penny, you are infertile," he said straightforwardly.

Her eyes began to water and she was having a hard time accepting what he had said. "W-Why?"

Sheldon shifted and wrapped his right arm around Penny's shoulders, pulling her close as they hear his explanation.

"You have an abnormally shaped uterus. Uterine abnormalities are present from birth and cause problems becoming or remaining pregnant. There is no way to fix this. I'm sorry Dr. and Mrs. Cooper. I'll leave you alone for a moment to sort this information out," and with that, Dr. Grayson left the room once more.

Penny broke down. The life she imagined for her and Sheldon that included children running around their house was never going to be a reality. Her dreams about becoming a mother to their son or daughter diminished as she cried on Sheldon's shoulder.

Sheldon was experiencing a heartbreaking pain as well. He knew how much this meant to Penny, and understood how devastated she was. No progenies from them would ever come to be. It also meant that he will have no children to pass on his high intelligence and the traits Penny had that made him fall in love with her.

He was a man, not the emotionless robot his friends used to joke about. He was a man with a heart, and for a genius like him who self-proclaimed he was above all feelings, Sheldon wasn't afraid to let a few tears of his own flow freely, holding Penny close to him.

xXx

The drive home was silent, both not wanting to speak of the events that unfolded earlier. Once they were back at their apartment, Penny excused herself and slept through the rest of the day. She only came out of the bedroom to use the bathroom, and get a glass of drink. When she has done what she needed to, Penny would lock herself inside the room.

Sheldon was worried. Penny was inconsolable.

He wanted to comfort her and offer her a hot beverage not because it was social convention, but he cared about her, not being content with an upset Penny. Sheldon had to cancel paintball with his friends for later, wishing to have some time with his devastated wife.

_Knock, knock, knock_, "Penny?"

_Knock, knock, knock_, "Penny?"

_Knock, knock, knock_, "Penny?"

No answer.

"I have freshly-brewed tea made just for you. Unlock the door and savor on this," Sheldon said, but still wasn't getting a response. He sighed and placed the tea in front of the door frame if she decided to change her mind.

An hour later after showering, Sheldon walked down the hall and into the second bedroom to take a nap. Before he could enter the room, he noticed that Penny had drunk all of the tea, leaving the empty cup where Sheldon had put it. He picked the cup up and raised his hand to knock on the door once more. From the other side, Sheldon could hear the faint snores of his wife and realized that she had fallen asleep.

Sheldon proceeded to take that short nap, and when he walked into the living room, he was surprised to see Penny sitting on the couch while watching a rerun of "America's Next Top Model." He could see that her eyes were red and puffy, musing that she had cried herself to sleep hours ago. She didn't acknowledge him as he entered, her focus was solely on the small television screen in front of her. Sheldon watched his wife from afar, and wondered what he can do to uplift her spirits.

When the episode ended, Penny was still sitting on her spot which was next to Sheldon's. The air was quiet, and with that Vulcan hearing of his, Sheldon could hear her sniffling. He got up from his seat and headed over to his spot. Penny didn't move but only stare at the turned-off TV. Her eyes wandered down to the hands on her lap, as she took one deep breath.

Both didn't utter a word, not knowing what was right to say at that moment.

"Blue eyes and blonde hair," Penny mumbled under her breath, capturing Sheldon's attention. He raised his brow in confusion. She turned her head to him. "That's what I pictured our first child together."

A corner of his mouth lifted. "Brown hair and green eyes for our second child."

Penny chuckled. "What about for a third?"

"Third?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I imagined us having three children together." Penny looked to his face for an expression, unsure of how he felt about what she said.

"Blonde hair and green eyes, or brown hair and blue eyes," Sheldon replied with a small smile.

They nodded and didn't speak for a moment. Penny opened her mouth as she reached over and grasped Sheldon's hands. "Sheldon, if we had a child but he isn't as smart as you, would you still love him?

"Why would you think of that?"

She stared down on their intertwined fingers. "I mean when we first met, you belittled me every chance you get. You made fun of my intelligence and you once called me a blonde monkey."

Sheldon frowned. "First off, I have never called you a 'blonde monkey.' You stated that I thought you were but in actuality, I never said such thing. Secondly, I wasn't making fun of your intelligence. You are a smart and wise woman, but you didn't understand your full potential at first. Anyways, I will love our children, whether they are as smart as I am or dumber than a bag of rocks. I'll be supportive of their choices, no matter what it'll be."

Penny pulled him in for a hug. The vague smell of laundry soap and red vines lingered around her nose. "What would their names be?"

He paused. "I like Albert, Richard, and Pierre."

"Where did you get those?"

"Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, and Pierre Curie," Sheldon answered.

She giggled. "I like Robbie, Sam, and Paul."

"Acceptable names, but I like mine better."

"How about girl names?"

He stopped for a brief second once more. "Emilie, Rosalind, and Rita."

Penny stared into his pretty blue hued eyes. "Scientist names?"

"du Châtelet, Franklin, and Levi-Montalcini. Yours?"

"Grace, Katie, and Sarah."

Sheldon nodded, and then cupped Penny's face. "What theory would they choose?"

Confused, she asked. "What?"

"String theory or loop quantum gravity?"

Penny smirked. "Well, their daddy's a huge believer in String theory. They'll probably choose that because one of the smartest men spent his whole life trying to prove it."

Sheldon grinned and quickly kissed her lips. They talked about more things, such as the house they would purchase once their family started to expand even more. Penny dreamed of having a big house in a farm-like setting where there is enough ground for horses to run around. Sheldon objected to the idea at first, afraid of riding a horse and falling off of it. She promised that she'll teach him one day, and to that, Sheldon knew it was easier said than done. They finally settled on a white, two-floor house with a matching white picket fence surrounding it. They pictured a huge oak tree in the front of the yard with a tire swing attached to one of the branches.

Penny imagined their children running around the front yard, taking turns riding the swing. She pictured the day to be hot, so she decided to make a pitcher of cold lemonade for the kids. Sheldon (whom she envisioned having a license) would park his car on the driveway as their young children come up to him running and with open arms. He would give each of them a kiss on the top of the head before kissing Penny on the lips, something she could never get enough of.

Afterwards, they would all settle in the backyard and have all their friends over for a BBQ. Howard and Bernadette with their son Michael, Leonard and his fiancée Priya, as well as Amy and Raj. There, Sheldon and Penny would tell the kids the story of how she became unlikely friends with a group of geniuses with successful jobs. They'll also tell them of how they first met and how much they didn't understand each other at first. Now, here they are surrounded with the people they love the most.

"That's the life that we could have," Penny finished, tearing up again.

"A beautiful life," Sheldon said.

They were in smiles, but sadness still lingered in the silent air. The understanding of the two unable to conceive brought them down. A beautiful life they could have, and the wished it was their reality.

A few minutes later, Sheldon came up with an idea, and needed Penny to trust him on this one.

"I have a proposal, Penny, and I think it could work."

xXx

_Six Years Later_

"Happy birthday, Emilie-Grace!" Penny said as she placed the pink princess-castle birthday cake in front of their daughter. "I can't believe my baby is finally seven years old! You're getting bigger and bigger every second."

Sheldon shook his head. "Penny, Emilie is seven, therefore she is no longer considered a baby."

Emilie looked up to her father with her wide brown eyes, her brown hair framing her soft and innocent face. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Emilie?"

She waited for Penny to light up the candles as the other children and her parents' friends surrounded her. "Would you like to blow the candles with me?"

Sheldon smiled and kneeled down to reach Emilie's short stature. "Of course, dear."

The crowd sang "Happy Birthday" in a round as for the birthday girl's request. Once everyone received a slice of cake, Emilie went over to Penny and Sheldon, who were chatting with Uncle Raj, Howard, and Leonard and Aunt Bernie and Ames. "Mommy? Daddy? Cousin Michael and my friends at school want to hear the story again."

"Again?" Penny asked, and Emilie eagerly nodded. "Moonpie, you up for another story telling?"

Sheldon glanced to his beautiful wife, whom he still loves very dearly, and then down to his daughter they had adopted when she was a year old, whom he also loves. So much has changed over the years, including him and Penny, and Sheldon knew if he had the chance to change anything, he wouldn't even dare to do it.

"Of course."

Emilie grinned happily and led her parents to the circle of children. Sheldon slipped his arm through Penny's waist and she cleared her throat. They shared one loving gaze before Penny started to tell the story of their beginning.

"It was back in 2007 when I decided to move in to Apartment 4B in Pasadena..."

_Fin_


End file.
